First of all, let’s look at how the plans will change in 2019 from what they are now. You should not expect any changes in coverage. Medicare has made it clear that there are no immediate changes planned down the line for the coverage on its Supplement plans. You can be assured that no changes will go into effect without prior warning, as Medicare is very good about letting its subscribers know what changes are on the way.

So, the coverage these plans have for 2018 should still be in effect during all of 2019. That means you can look at what these plans offer for 2018 to get a good idea of what they will provide for subscribers in 2019 as well. You can plan ahead easily knowing that they are not likely to change.

You should also know about changing prices. This is not an aspect of the plans that Medicare has any real control over. It oversees the plans and ensures that everyone selling the plans abides by its coverage rules, but it doesn’t really have any say in the pricing of the plans. That means that the rates could be all over the place.

The prices are determined by individual sellers, which are the insurance companies that Medicare has approved to sell its plans. These sellers are likely to raise their prices each year, as they tend to do. Some other prices will change at different times of the year, so if you are looking up this information now for 2019, then you may want to update it by the time you are ready to sign up.

And that’s it. There isn’t much that should change about these plans in 2019, so if you want to do your research now and try to figure out which of the plans is going to be a good fit for you in 2019, then you can certainly do so.

Be warned, however, that your needs could change before then. What works well for you now and covers you like you need to be may not be the same plan that does the same in 2019. Your health or your finances could change by then, and you need to know that you are getting the most appropriate coverage.

Supplement Coverage

Before we get into what the best plans are, let’s look at what the plans have to offer you in general. They cover all sorts of medical expense, none of which overlap with what Original Medicare provides. In fact, the Supplement plans are meant to work with the Original Medicare plan and provide complementary coverage. What Original Medicare does not take care of for you is covered by the Supplement plan.

Supplement plans cover you for coinsurance, deductibles, excess charges, nursing care, hospice care, emergency travel costs in foreign countries and blood usage. All of this can really add up, especially if you get one of the higher coverage plans. Now, you may not need all that, and if that is the case, then you can go with one of the lower coverage plans or skip the supplemental coverage entirely. It’s up to you, and you will have to do an assessment of your coverage needs in order to determine what plan you should be getting.

The coverage can vary slightly from one state to the next. The same base plan stays intact, but the states can have different definitions of what is considered to be medically necessary. In one state, a service may be deemed medically necessary, whereas in another it could be considered unnecessary. Even the best Medicare Supplement plans for 2019 won’t be covering you if they deem your healthcare costs to be medically unnecessary. It’s not up to the plan, Medicare or the insurance companies to decide though. The state and local laws make those kinds of decisions, and the insurance company you have your plan through has to abide by those decisions.

Which Plan Is Best?

One of the most common questions we get asked is what Medicare Supplement plan would we consider to be the best. We always have to answer that by saying that there isn’t a best plan. There is not a plan that stands out among them all as the one that is worth signing up for more than the others.

Now, for each individual, there probably is a best plan. There is likely a Medicare Supplement plan that would be perfect for you, or at least a better fit in your situation than any of the other plans. There is probably a Supplement plan that fits your coverage needs well and doesn’t cause you to go overbudget. If you can find a plan like that, then you need to sign up for it as soon as you are eligible. Eligibility for all Medicare Supplement plans occurs when you turn 65.

While we can’t say that there is a best plan, we can tell you about a few plans that pack more value into them than any of the others. These are plans that offer a lot of coverage at a reasonable price. Of course, the price varies depending on who you buy it from, but if you get a great deal on that plan, then you get incredible value.

Now Plan F was the top plan for a lot of people a few years back, but people are beginning to come around on these plans and realize that Plan F is overpriced for what it offers. People love the peace of mind it provides, since it covers every supplemental cost for them. But that powerful coverage is sometimes a waste of money, as it is cheaper and more economical to go with some slightly lower coverage plans that fit better into most people’s budgets.

Plan G is our pick for the best overall plan, as far as value goes. It may not be a good fit for you, because it does have a ton of coverage. But you are often charged a very reasonable rate for that coverage. Plan G includes all the supplemental coverage items we listed earlier, except for one. It won’t cover you for the Medicare Part B deductible. That’s no great loss, though, as that isn’t an expense you pay more than once per year, and it is only $183. You can see now why it might be a waste to have that expense covered by the far more expensive Plan F.

Plan N is another great plan, and it is one of the best available, as far as we are concerned. Once again, it may not be a good fit for you, but it’s a great plan with tons of value for most people. It covers a lot of the same things as Plan G does, but it just cranks the coverage down slightly, while dropping the price in the process. Plan N doesn’t cover you for the same Part B deducible, and it also won’t cover you for the Part B excess charges or a few small copayments. That’s a small price to pay for the great rates and the other coverage it does provide, though.